The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China
Climate change and human interference are major drivers of biodiversity loss, with profound implications for species distribution and ecosystem integrity. Among the most vulnerable groups, primates are particularly sensitive to climate change due to their specialized habitat requirements and relianc...
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2025-02-01
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| author | Junxi Geng Jian Zhang Xiaowei Liu Shengdong Qin |
| author_facet | Junxi Geng Jian Zhang Xiaowei Liu Shengdong Qin |
| author_sort | Junxi Geng |
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| description | Climate change and human interference are major drivers of biodiversity loss, with profound implications for species distribution and ecosystem integrity. Among the most vulnerable groups, primates are particularly sensitive to climate change due to their specialized habitat requirements and reliance on stable environmental conditions. This study investigates the impact of climate change and human disturbance on the distribution patterns and ecological corridors of the Gaoligong hoolock gibbons (<i>Hoolock tianxing</i>) in Western Yunnan Province, China. Climatic variables, including elevation, temperature range, seasonality, and annual precipitation, were found to significantly influence the spatial distribution of suitable habitats for the species. Under current climatic conditions, the suitable habitat area was 9801.59 km<sup>2</sup>. However, future climate scenarios projected substantial reductions in habitat area, with the RCP2.6 scenario showing a decrease of 10.07%, and the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios resulting in reductions of 29.75% and 69.02%, respectively. Spatially, Tengchong and Longyang supported the largest habitat areas, but these regions faced significant reductions under all future scenarios, while Longchuan and Fugong exhibited minimal to no suitable habitat, especially under higher-emissions scenarios. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that future climate change would cause a shift in habitat suitability toward higher elevations, with mid- and high-elevation areas becoming increasingly important. Ecological corridors, primarily located in the southern regions, showed a trend of fragmentation, with decreasing connectivity and increasing dispersal resistance across all future scenarios. By the 2070s, southern corridors would nearly disappear under the RCP8.5 scenario, with the dispersal paths contracting northward. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing comprehensive conservation strategies, such as habitat restoration, corridor enhancement, and cross-border cooperation between China and Myanmar, to mitigate climate change impacts and safeguard the long-term survival of Skywalker hoolock gibbons. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj-art-1158e8478aff4ef5aed0146009abdd932025-08-20T02:44:42ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-02-0117212510.3390/d17020125The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, ChinaJunxi Geng0Jian Zhang1Xiaowei Liu2Shengdong Qin3School of International Education, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaCenter for Studies of Education and Psychology of Minorities in Southwest China, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaSocial Sciences Division, Dali University, Dali 671000, ChinaPhysical Education Institute, Guangxi Minzu Normal University, Nanning 532200, ChinaClimate change and human interference are major drivers of biodiversity loss, with profound implications for species distribution and ecosystem integrity. Among the most vulnerable groups, primates are particularly sensitive to climate change due to their specialized habitat requirements and reliance on stable environmental conditions. This study investigates the impact of climate change and human disturbance on the distribution patterns and ecological corridors of the Gaoligong hoolock gibbons (<i>Hoolock tianxing</i>) in Western Yunnan Province, China. Climatic variables, including elevation, temperature range, seasonality, and annual precipitation, were found to significantly influence the spatial distribution of suitable habitats for the species. Under current climatic conditions, the suitable habitat area was 9801.59 km<sup>2</sup>. However, future climate scenarios projected substantial reductions in habitat area, with the RCP2.6 scenario showing a decrease of 10.07%, and the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios resulting in reductions of 29.75% and 69.02%, respectively. Spatially, Tengchong and Longyang supported the largest habitat areas, but these regions faced significant reductions under all future scenarios, while Longchuan and Fugong exhibited minimal to no suitable habitat, especially under higher-emissions scenarios. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that future climate change would cause a shift in habitat suitability toward higher elevations, with mid- and high-elevation areas becoming increasingly important. Ecological corridors, primarily located in the southern regions, showed a trend of fragmentation, with decreasing connectivity and increasing dispersal resistance across all future scenarios. By the 2070s, southern corridors would nearly disappear under the RCP8.5 scenario, with the dispersal paths contracting northward. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing comprehensive conservation strategies, such as habitat restoration, corridor enhancement, and cross-border cooperation between China and Myanmar, to mitigate climate change impacts and safeguard the long-term survival of Skywalker hoolock gibbons.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/2/125climate changehuman interference<i>Hoolock tianxing</i>suitable habitatecological corridors |
| spellingShingle | Junxi Geng Jian Zhang Xiaowei Liu Shengdong Qin The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China Diversity climate change human interference <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> suitable habitat ecological corridors |
| title | The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China |
| title_full | The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China |
| title_short | The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Habitat Distribution and Ecological Corridors of <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> in Western Yunnan Province, China |
| title_sort | impact of climate change and human activities on the habitat distribution and ecological corridors of i hoolock tianxing i in western yunnan province china |
| topic | climate change human interference <i>Hoolock tianxing</i> suitable habitat ecological corridors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/2/125 |
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